KRSA Priorities at the 2020 Board of Fisheries
In February 2020, the Alaska Board of Fisheries met in Anchorage to review regulations and proposals for Upper Cook Inlet – including the Kasilof River, the Kenai River, and Mat-Su valley rivers and streams.
Since 1984, KRSA has been a leading advocate for fisheries conservation in Alaska, working diligently to ensure sport and personal-use fishing rights are protected in Alaska and the fisheries are healthy for generations to come. This work continued at the Board of Fisheries Upper Cook Inlet meeting in February 2020, where KRSA worked towards four goals:
- More fish in Upper Cook Inlet rivers and streams;
- Sharing the work of conservation among all users;
- Strengthening the Conservation Corridor; and,
- Providing greater opportunity for personal use fisheries – particularly in the Mat-Su.
2020 Upper Cook Inlet Board Meeting Outcomes
At the 2020 Upper Cook Inlet meeting, the Board of Fisheries made a number of significant decisions – providing the Alaska Department of Fish and Game with clear guidance to conserve and develop fisheries for the benefit of all Alaskans. Notably:
- Conservation measures were adopted for the iconic Kenai River late-run king salmon. These measures created new, higher escapement goals for king salmon in the Kenai River, and bolstered the paired restrictions between sport and commercial users, sharing the work of conservation at times of low king abundance.
- Kenai River sockeye inriver and escapement goals were increased recognizing that higher escapements produce higher returns which benefit all fisheries.
- The conservation corridor was strengthened to move more sockeye and coho through the center of Cook Inlet, increasing angler use of fishing areas nearer to shore during late July and early August. This benefited fish returning to the rivers and streams of northern Cook Inlet.
- A new personal use fishery was established on the Susitna River.
